Improved automatic car-coupling



M'blg AlN & KELSEY.

Car Coupling.

No. 90,569. Patented May 25, 1869.

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STATES PATENT tribe.

JOHN MGLAIN AND JARED KELSEY, OF ST. MARYS, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND SNYDER FILSON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 90,569, dated May 25, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN MCLAIN and JARED KELSEY, of St. Marys, in the county of Auglaize, and in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Couplings; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the couplingbox, coupling-pin, and coupling link, and in the mode of coupling and uncoupling the cars, all of which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our invention appertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation in section, showin g the ends of two cars coupled together. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the coupling-link, with a plan view in section of the metal plunger or follower; and Fig. 3 is a perspective of the metal plunger or follower.

A Arepresent the ends of two railroad-cars, to both of which our improved coupling-box is attached. The coupling-boxB is of rectangular form, of suitable dimensions, partly open in the bottom, and provided with atop, a,which is hinged at the rear end and rests on the sides and front of the box. Near the rear end of the top a is secured a bar or lever, O, which projects upward through a slot in the platform of the car A, and by means of which the front end of the top a can be raised up by the operator standing on the platform. In the front end of the top a is a slot, 0, running lengthwise a suitable distance, and over said slot is placed a plate, d, which is hinged at the front end of the top a, and rests on the same. To the center of the lower side of said plate 61 is secured the coupling-pin e, which projects downward into the box through the slot b in the top. The coupling-pin e is of peculiar construction, made of any suitable material, either square or round, or both combined, and may be separate from and made to work in a slot through the plate d. Its front side is perpendicular to the plate (1 but on the rear side, atasuitable pointabove its lower end, it projects toward the rear and upward, making the rear end of the plated much heavier than the front end. It will thus be seen that when the cars are coupled the weight alone of the pin and plate so constructed will prevent any danger of the pin jumping up and out of the link. The length of the pin 6 is regulated by the depth of the mouth or entrance to the coupling-box, the pin always extending below said mouth or entrance.

Inside of the coupling-box A, along its sides, are projecting flangesff, forming an inclined plane from the upper rear to the lower front part of the box, as shown in Fig. 1. On these flan ges ff rests and moves a solid metal plunger or follower, D,which for that purpose is along its sides provided with a bent flange, h, or, rather, the lower part of its sides is cut out so as to form this bent flange, which does not in its curvature correspond with the flange fin the side of the box. The flange f may be straight or curved, as may be deemed most advantageous; but we prefer one slightly curved downward, and the flange it must then form part of a circle of a smaller radius than that of the flange f, so that actually the plunger D rests on these flanges only at two points, and

not along the entire length. By this construction of the flangesff and h h, in addition to the weight of the plunger, the same is always brought to the front end of the box A, for a purpose that will be hereinafter set forth.

The front end of the plunger D is provided with a recess, 1', of suitable size to admit the end of the coupling-link, and the upper part, forming the roof of said recess, is slotted, as shown in Fig. 3, sufficiently to allow the coupling-pin 8 free passage downward when the plunger is at its proper place in the front end of the box. In the center of the rear or inner side of the chamber or recesst' is a vertical wedge-shaped projection, in, which fits into a V-shaped notch in the end of the couplinglink E.

The coupling-link E is a square or round bar of iron or other suitable material, made with or without a center-piece, and having one or two slots, l l, of suitable length, the ends beveled, as shown in Fig. 2, and cut with a V- shaped notch, m, corresponding in size with the wedge-shaped projection 70 at the rear of the recess in the plunger D. Supposing the coupling-link E to be inserted into the coupling-box on one car, it will be seen that the plunger D, on account of the peculiar construction of the flanges ffand h h, will be in its proper position at the mouth of the couplingbox, holding the coupling-link perfectly horizontal. The projection 70, fitting into the V- shaped notch in the end ofthe link, prevents any lateral motion of the same, so that it is always in proper position to beinserted into the opposite coupling-box. Now, when the cars are brought together the outer end of the link enters the mouth of the opposite coupling-box, striking the coupling-pin e, carrying it backward and upward, and at the same time movingtheplungerD backward on the inclined plane until the pin 0 can drop down in the slot i, when the cars are coupled.

It will readily be seen that the plunger D acts in the same capacity as a spring, receiving the first shock of the concussion of the cars, thereby lessening the danger of any injury to the coupling-boxes and cars.

To uncouple the cars it is only necessary to move the lever G- slightly backward, when the front end of the top a is raised, lit'ting'th'e pin 6 out of the coupling-link.

If desired to uncouple from the top of the car,instead or" from the platform, this can easily be accomplished by attaching a rope or chain to the front end of the top a and raise the same by that means.

structed and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

' In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 27th day of November, 1868.

JNO. MC'LAIN. J. KELSEY.

Witnesses:

E. F. Gnoss, O. STONE. 

